Connecticut politicians up close and personal

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On Mon., Jan. 4, 1999, John G. Rowland was sworn in for his second term as Governor of Connecticut. At 41, he is the youngest governor in the U.S. and the first to be re-elected in Connecticut in half a century. His victory over Democrat Barbara Kennelley secured Republican control of the Governor's mansion, controlled by Democrats for most of the previous four decades.

A former member of the Connecticut State Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives, Rowland rose to victory with his promise to repeal the state income tax gradually. In February 1998, Rowland unveiled a two-year budget plan to cut income taxes, decrease state spending, and eliminate 10 percent of the state payroll.

This year, Rowland lobbied aggressively to bring the New England Patriots to Connecticut and to build them a stadium as part of a revitalization plan for downtown Hartford. In November, he signed a tentative $380 million deal with Patriots owner Bob Kraft, and in January he called a special session of the Connecticut legislature to authorize the use of surplus tax revenue to complete the project. However, the deal fell through in May, when the Massachusetts legislature drew up a plan that persuaded Kraft to keep the football team in Fox-borough, Mass.

U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro

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Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro began her fifth term representing Con-necticut's third district this January. DeLauro has deep roots in New Haven. Born and raised in the city's Wooster Square, her father was a longtime alderman, and her mother is currently the longest-serving member on the Board of Aldermen.

DeLauro has fought against cuts in the national defense budget that would have hurt Connecticut's defense industry, including proposed cuts that targeted the Sikorsky plant, which produces Comanche helicopters for the Army. She also helped author a transportation bill that aims to bring 100,000 jobs to Connecticut over a period of six years.

Prior to her election to Congress, DeLauro was the executive director of Emily's List, a national organization committed to increasing the representation of women in politics. From 1981-87, she served as chief of staff to U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.).

DeLauro has also supported an assault weapons ban, promoted laws against domestic violence, and expanded middle-class student loan programs, health care reform, and job training for the unemployed.

Mayor John DeStefano, Jr.

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As a life-long resident of New Haven and a third-term mayor, John DeStefano, Jr., is well-acquainted with the quality of life in his city, and he has a visionary plan to improve it. He believes cutting property taxes is the key to improving the city's economy. According to the Democratic mayor, property taxes deter middle-class families from buying property in urban areas. He also has worked to improve the quality of city buildings by fining delinquent landlords for each day a city-mandated repair remains undone. In addition, the mayor has fought to create new jobs. The June opening of Shaw's Supermarket on Whalley Ave., provided the city with more than 200 jobs. His major ongoing projects include plans for a shopping mall on Long Wharf and the Livable City Initiative, a plan to reduce urban blight in residential areas.

Although last summer his office faced allegations of political favoritism, mishandled funds, and inappropriate loans, DeStefano has also proudly seen the city win several awards. In June of 1998, New Haven was among 10 cities to be named an "All-American City" by the National Civic League. In December the Police Department won two awards, and in August the city's School Construction Pro-gram won the U.S. Conference of Mayors' City Livability Award.

In January, New Haven was named an Empowerment Zone by the federal De-partment of Housing and Urban Deve-lopment (HUD). The designation gives the City access to $100 million in social services block grants and $130 million in tax credits in order to encourage economic development in distressed urban neighborhoods.

In February, the Mayor outlined a new $1.5 billion agenda to revitalize the City by building on its existing downtown strengths and rebuilding its transportation infrastructure. He is currently working on bringing an Amtrak High-Speed Rail to New Haven, building a new downtown train station, improving the bus system, and connecting the downtown area to the harbor.

Ward One Alder Julio Gonzalez, CC '99

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In November of 1997, Julio Gonzalez, CC '99, was elected to serve on the New Haven Board of Aldermen. Gonzalez defeated Republican challenger and fellow Yalie Bob Kokta, BK '00, to continue the Dem-ocratic Party's dominance of the Ward One spot on the Board. Now a graduating senior, Gonzalez double-majored in political science and women's studies and spent much of his undergraduate career at Yale involved in social service projects through Dwight Hall.

Gonzalez claims that his overall goal during his term has been to create a "pragmatic policy for the downtown region." He has worked to help break up the taxi system monopoly in New Haven, focusing on rate and service regulation and improved conditions for drivers. He has also worked toward opening the former Farmington Canal as a bike trail and recreational park.

The New Haven Board of Aldermen consists of 30 representatives, one from each of the 30 wards in New Haven. Since Ward One contains most of the Yale campus, the post has traditionally been held by Yalies. Ward One encompasses Old Campus and all the residential colleges except Davenport, Pierson, Ezra Stiles, and Morse. Those four colleges are contained in Ward Three, under the leadership of Alderman Anthony Dawson.

Albert Chen, Jason Heller, and Liz Oliner contributed to this article.

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